1,937 Ways To Say We Love The L.A. Kings And You

September 12, 2009, at 10:54 pm, Surly & Scribe were born. The idea grew from my frustration with message boards and blogs that filtered or censored passion and content and the need for an outlet that allowed me to offer both without limitations. I found a like-minded writing partner in Jacob who I met on HFBoards and shared a common thread in my fervor. The idea had no long-term vision beyond “write what we know and love” and let the rest take care of itself. We didn’t want to sell anything, make any money or have any agenda beyond providing a forum for L.A. Kings fans.

1,937 articles since then.

25,849 comments on those articles from Die-Hard fans like you.

Well over a million visitors every year and growing each month.

I looked back at that first article and what I wrote…

Kings fans enjoy discussing their patience through decades of hope. They cherish its pain. There is a masochistic pleasure built within our foundational loyalty to the team that we feel gives us a right to distinguish ourselves from other hockey fans who have tasted the success of their respective franchise.

Those days are over.

We shall not lament the past for it is irrelevant to our present.

The Los Angeles Kings shall no longer accept a good effort as the hallmark of success. We will not take solace in the fleeting reward of a team that is hard to play against. We should be mindful of the journey that has brought us “here” but we cannot set our goals or take action in any direction that will return us to those inglorious days of resolve.

1004 days from the day I wrote those words to the game we earned the Stanley Cup. The L.A. Kings’ past and memories of the times that preceded our coronation now wax nostalgic. We no longer lament. We smile at history and know it was the cross we bore – one that tested our faith and proved us worthy of its eternal reward.

What a journey it has been.

What lies ahead?

For the Kings?

For our Die-Hard fans?

For Surly & Scribe?

I don’t know but I thought, in this time of celebration and reflection, the least I could do is to say thank you to each of you for making this place a destination location for your L.A. Kings pride and passion.

23 replies

Bless the day you both decided to put this site together, and the 1004 days that elapsed to the Cup.
This is the number one place I go to for LA Kings talk and opinions. Congratulations for this totally outstanding site for so many fans to congregate and speak their minds in candid and die hard opinions. The work to keeping the LA Kings franchise the best in hockey never ends!

Happy to have a place which is not a bunch of kiss ass fans sucking up to Rich Hammond, and then reading snobbish, all knowing dickheads who act like they are entitled to tell anyone and everyone they are idiots.
“Thanks Rich” Fuck Rich, he has no clue what he is writing about other than what the Kings tell him to write.
I just hope we don’t succumb to the curse of the Chicago Cubs, or Red Sox, and regress instead of progress.
I know there will be those who consider what was accomplished this season a fluke (Fuck You East Coast media), and will still not respect the Defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings.
I’m not going to say dynasty, but I hope we can win a few more cups, and do not fall back into the revolving door of free agent signings, horrible drafting which plagued this team up until 2005 or so.
Maybe now when they include the Kings in our local TV news, when they refer to Jordan Nolan a picture of Sidney Crosby is mistakenly used for Nolan, or using the Crapramento Kings logo.
Drew Doty will become Drew Doughty. Maybe now Jim Hill will pronounce Anze as Anjay and Ko-pe-tar will be Ko-pi-tar.

One of the best moments in the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs, is Game 3 @ the Staples vs The Yotes, when Kopitar scores to make it 1-1 at 16:50 to go in the 2nd, and they pan to Dave Tippett and you can see him mouth “Fuck Me”

Hey guys, how about a 2.0 article on the brilliance of Kopi’s play, offensively, defensively, n-zone, and physical domination? Something that shows his dedication to all facets of the game. Plus his innate offensive abilities while focusing on defense. If anyone can do it, you guys can. Highlight to the world what a #1 center plays like. ??!!??!!??!!??????????

So it was November of 1980…I was 8 years old in the Great Western Forum for the
first time. The third period came to an end with a score of 4-8 in favor of my best
friend’s and father’s favorite team, the Montreal Canadiens. I told my friend that “we
should hurry back to the snack bar to grab some more candy before the fourth quarter
begins.” He looked at me strangely and exclaimed, “dude, the game is over…there
are only three periods in hockey.” I fired back, “oh bummer…so we can’t get
any more candy?”

In February of 1982, I knew enough to stock up on candy during the second
intermission and that Marcel would come through for the Kings . This was not
enough to ease the pain of a 2-7 loss to those same Canadiens, with my best friend
and his father beaming with pride.

In November of 1985, I was sure that the Kings would get the best of my friend
and his father. I had my candy and we lost 0-6…to those same Canadiens.

In 1986, a new kid came around who couldn’t skate for shit, so they said, but man
could he fire a puck. Luc would surely break this curse and let me enjoy a car
ride home with my so-called friend and that guy that drove us to games, his dad.
Kings lost 4-7 to those fuckers…these rides home, even with candy, becoming
at best unbearable.

Late in the season in 1988, I thought that surely I would enjoy my first ride
home with that fucking guy and his driver….6-7 loss in OT…to the Canadiens…
What the fuck?!

The very next year, we landed the best player in the league, but I knew that I
could no longer go see the Kings play Montreal live. I was going to end this
fucked up curse and eat my candy at home. I would no longer be a party to
the joy that my ex-friend and his dad experienced every time I went to a
game with them…

1993………..

Almost two decades later…I still have my sweet tooth and nothing has tasted as
sweet as the last two months of my life. When I think about it, the only things
that I have done longer than being a Kings fan are breathing, eating, and sleeping.

Happy 1 week anniversary!

p.s. My text to my oldest friend: You might get drunk texts later, what with the
Kings winning the Stanley Cup and all!!!

What a bonus sensational memory for me, as my Las Vegas resident son (Loyal Kings fan since age 8, for 28 years) and his family were able to both view and touch the Cup yesterday Monday at the Luxor Hotel Memorabilia Store. The Cup and the other NHL trophies were on display because of the NHL Awards show this week, with Cup Keeper Phil Pritchard overseeing everything for safety of the Cup. I was told there was a line that started at noon for the display showing that ran from 4 to 7. If you arrived to the queue line too late, tough luck it was closed up.

This was one of my own personal dreams too that my devoted Kings fan son could also experience the whole Stanley Cup experience while I was still alive to witness it all. What a great week this has been and it is keeps going on and on—just out of this world!